Center for State and Local Policy
With decision-making moving increasingly to the state and local arenas, preservationists need to be able to influence elected officials through coordinated and sustained advocacy efforts in the states. The National Trust created the Center for State and Local Policy to empower a network of statewide and local preservation-minded organizations around the country to positively influence public policy in their states and communities.
How Can the Center Help You in Your Community? The Center for State and Local Policy provides educational materials focused on the specific needs and issues confronting preservation interests. The Center provides: 1) information focused on public policy development and advocacy and targeted to the specific needs and issues confronting statewide and local preservation groups, including Main Street organizations; 2) a comprehensive preservation advocacy training program; and 3) direct technical assistance on advocacy matters to advocates nationwide.
Information
The Center for State and Local Policy provides educational materials focused on the specific needs and issues confronting preservation interests. The Model Public Policies series provides an analysis of specific preservation policies and examples of best practices at the state and local level.
- State Rehabilitation Tax Credits
- Context Sensitive Solution in Transportation Planning
- Innovative Ways to Generate State Funding
- Preserving Historic Schools
- Adopting 21st Century Codes for Historic Buildings
- Approaches to Managing Teardowns
- Incorporating Historic Preservation into Low-Income Housing through Qualified Allocation Plans
Advocacy Training
The Center for State and Local Policy offers a comprehensive preservation advocacy training program, while the Advocacy Training Manual provides information on shaping public policy to preservation groups and Main Street organizations.
- Working with an Advocacy Coalition
- Developing a Grassroots Network
- Communicating with Elected Officials
- Lobbying and Political Action: What is Permissible by 501(c)3 Organizations?
- Media Communications for Advocacy Campaigns
- Supporting Historic Preservation Through a Legislative Caucus
- Planning an Advocacy Campaign: General Strategy Tips
Would you like to help train local citizens how to advocate on behalf of preservation? Contact policy@nthp.org or call 202-588-6167 for more details.
Technical Assistance
The Center for State and Local Policy provides direct technical assistance on a range of issues – including rehabilitation tax credits, building codes, funding sources, and historic schools – to communities across the country. For assistance with your preservation policy issue, call 202-588-6167 or email policy@nthp.org. Examples of technical assistance include:
- Helping to develop strategies for advocacy campaigns
- Providing guidance on legislative language
- Providing statistics/data to support the economic case for historic preservation
- Providing sample testimony
- Suggesting ways of expanding grassroots support and encourage effective coalitions
- Providing educational materials that can be shared with elected officials, advocates, and media
- Sharing successful advocacy startegies of other organizations
- Speaking at state and local conferences, events, and workshops
New Grant and Technical Assistance to Encourage Community Center Schools
Is your state facing threats of demolition or abandonment of neighborhood schools? When new schools are built, can your children to walk to their school? Do decision-makers understand the many roles schools play within your community? In addition to reaching educational objectives, do you believe that schools can serve other purposes in your neighborhood?
Concerned about the abandonment of older neighborhood schools and the siting of new schools outside of communities, the National Trust is offering an opportunity for organizations and coalitions in up to five states to analyze their state’s current policies and develop an educational outreach program with policy recommendations to help citizens and officials make informed choices when spending their limited dollars on school facilities. Selected organizations will receive a year of technical assistance and a $6,000 grant to: 1) research state policies and practices; 2) convene a policy summit to develop recommendations; 3) develop educational materials; and 4) hold a press event to announce policy findings. By participating in this program, organizations will secure community-centered schools for their state through the implementation of state-level policies. The proposal deadline is July 14, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. eastern.
Through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and with support from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, the National Trust launched the Helping Johnny Walk to School: Sustaining Communities through Smart School Siting Policies program to help localities site their schools in a way that not only achieves their educational objectives, but also anchors the local neighborhood, supports better public health, creates a cleaner environment, spurs economic development, and offers additional amenities to the community. Since publishing the seminal work Why Johnny Can’t Walk to School: Historic Neighborhood Schools in the Age of Sprawl and listing the threat to older neighborhood schools on the America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Sites list in 2000, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has continually sought ways to raise awareness about the important link between community vitality and walkable neighborhood schools.
This new program is a program of the National Trust Center for State and Local Policy which provides technical assistance, trains advocates, and conducts research on policies that impact the country’s historic resources. Partners in this work with include authors Constance Beaumont and Tom Hylton, as well as organizations such as Safe Routes to School, The Rural School and Community Trust, and the 21st Century School Fund.
For more information about this issue and details about applying for this new grant opportunity, visit http://www.preservationnation.org/issues/historic-schools/ or contact Renee Viers Kuhlman, Director of Special Projects, Center for State and Local Policy, at Phone: 202-588-6234, e-mail: renee_kuhlman@nthp.org.
Submitted by Janay at: August 1, 2009
recently discovered a most incredible site. The Spring Grove Hospital in Baltimore County. (Catonsville, Maryland) Why is this huge site being allowed to just decay? As I am new to this org., is there any info available; any efforts to save & or advocate? Thank-you Contact: janette.malec@comcast.net
Submitted by Janay at: August 1, 2009
I recently discovered a most incredible site. The Spring Grove Hospital in Baltimore County. (Catonsville, Maryland) Why is this huge site being allowed to just decay? As I am new to this org., is there any info available; any efforts to save & or advocate? Thank-you
Submitted by John D at: July 3, 2009
In New Rochelle NY we have one of the very few NAVAL Armories ever built. The city was deeded the property from the state with covenant requiring it continue to be used for "public purpose" . For 10 years a local group has been trying to readapt the building contrary to the city's wish to tear it down to build condo's. This is a complete embarrasment to this city and an insult to the historic significance . We envision a multi venue platform with cutting edge green technology to make it a showcase for others to follow ,but we need help. The current deed requires use by the public but the city council is trying to invoke a home rule request to break the current deed covenant. Any advice ? Contact John D'Alois at deheliuman@aol.com .
Submitted by Terri at: May 11, 2009
I would like to make it known to the readers of this site that there are four houses located on Jackson Street, in Charleston, South Carolina, which housed freed slaves after the Civil War. This information was brought to my attention in an article written in 2002, by Post & Courier staff, Jason Hardin. In the article, Robert Gurley, of the Preservation Society in Charleston, said that "they might be the only surviving row of late 19th century freedman' style cottage-type structures left in Charleston." The article noted that preservationist have long argued that freedmen cottages are an architectural asset to the city. Loosing one would be be bad, but loosing four would be a disaster. The owner, Mr. Gilchrist, was taken to court by the City of Charleston to stop demolishion, as he wanted to tear them down and build rental property. He is willing to restore the homes, but financially he is unable to do so. In 2002, it was estimated that each cottage would cost $100,000 to restore. Because it is rare to find four slave houses in a row and it would be a big lost if these house continue to exist in detriment until the frames of these cottages collapse. With permission from the owner, I am seeking ways to bring attention to these historic cottages in hopes of generating help either private funds or government grants and monies which would assit in restoring these historic treasures. Because I lived in one of the homes, I have sentimental interest in helping to save them from ruin. According to the article, Katherine Saunders of the Historic Charleston Foundation said that "the homes are really, really important and if the neighborhood was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, property owners like Mr. Gilchrist, could tap into funds for restoration." Please email, me, Terri Owens at terrimaeowens@yahoo.com with comments, information or ideas to assist in saving these cottages. Thank you
Submitted by Jackie at: May 3, 2009
I would like to know how to advocate making the Alemany Farmers' Market a Historical Landmark. This San Francisco market is the oldest in the State and is occasionally threatened by developers who would love to shut it down and put something else there. The Market management has recently been taken over by the San Francisco Real Estate Dept. People are afraid of possible proposals by their developer friends. The RE Dept has not done a very good job of running the Farmers' Market. They lack the traditional care. The RE Dept. could become interested in doing something else with the Market. If it becomes a Historical Landmark, that would save it for the many people who need that Market. The Historical Landmark should include the parking area and the air space above the entire market. The last proposal was to build a housing project above the Market thereby placing it underneath and in a basement-like setting. The neighbors rallied against it and saved the Alemany Farmers' Market. The Market needs protection from the next onslaught. We, in the community need to preserve this well loved Market. Historical Landmark status would do it, nobody could take it from us. Please advise me of whatever first steps I could take to present this issue before an agency with the power to put it on their agenda for consideration. Jackie Jones jjonesaw@yahoo.com